I remember taking that first breath as I came out of the water. I was young enough to know our Lord and Savior and how much He loved me. I was taught that nobody here could love me anymore or any less than our Heavenly Father, so to be baptized in the name of the Holy Ghost was the most rewarding thing I could ever have done for myself and now my family. I ultimately the best decision I have ever made. I felt new again. I felt His mercy, as always, and I know it is unfailing. His arms are a fortress for the weak. I lifted my hands and He became my refuge and my strength. He was to lead me and not to follow. This journey was between Him and I. It is just me and our Lord from here on out.

I took that step at a young age. I was going through trials and tribulations that me and the Lord talked about. I knew what I had to do next. Nobody told me to do it or when to do it. I felt convicted, I wanted to live right by Him. I felt there was no greater way to live my life until I served and I was being called unto His purpose. I felt His love in my heart. I knew I was only here for one reason and one reason only:

To serve Him. To praise Him. To love Him. To live by Him.

A man who once was innocent, He was crucified for you and me. He took the pain. He took it all for you and I. He carried the cross upon His back, only to be nailed to it. We as sinners, clumsy ones who's mistakes that are bound to happen and are failures at least a quarter our lives, yes. That's us. A man who died for us on the cross with every stripe of pain and every blood stain on his beaten skin; He did it all for us. Every stripe of pain was a never ending amount of love He gave us. Every drop of blood was for us; it was another chance of being forgiven and to be reborn again. Those nails in His tired, trembling body, He did it for you and I; only because His love is never ending and it's always truthful. It's pure, undiluted; it's real.

When we hit rock bottom only to realize that we can only can get to the top by one thing; and that's His love. To the ones who may not have that love in your heart, or may have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You may be struggling. You may be questioning yourself, "What am I doing wrong? Why can't nothing go right? My life isn't fair." I am not writing this to tell you that you have to believe, but what I am doing is letting you know that having that love in your heart for our Lord and Savior, means a life of eternity. A life without any pain, grief, suffering from daily struggles you may be having here on Earth, because believe it or not, YES... this is only our temporary home.

I am a Christian, and a proud one at that. I understand that you may have different beliefs that me and a million others may, and that's okay. What's not okay is that ticket to Heaven won't be in your hands, because there is only one way to get it and that is through Jesus Christ himself. Not me, not your preacher, not your friend or a family member. That's all between you and Him. While you are down here still on Earth searching for your lost soul, the saved ones will already be gone, because hear me out - He is coming back!

Trust me, you'll will get tired. You will give up. You will be quick to anger and hate. Your body will become weaker because you will not be gaining any strength. You will be searching through a endless dark hole; all because you haven't seen the light yet. There is only one way:

To serve Him. To praise Him. To love Him. To live by Him.

If we only live our lives doing what's right in our hearts, and what's right by Him; the world would be a better place. If we all loved and treated one another equally as He wants us to, there would be no violence nor hate. If we all lived our lives the way Jesus wants us to, there would be no one above the other; we'd all live equally. In His eyes, we are. You are no better than I, as I am no better than you. Your riches are no better than the poor. The poor are always enriched with love.

Anxiety wouldn't even be a medical diagnoses because there wouldn't be any stressors in this world, but there are. Fear and anxiety are only here in order to tear a person down. God talks a lot about anxiety, worry and fear. He says that to worry is to sin.

Proverbs 12:25 states:

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it glad."

From my experience, that's where you need to lean on Him more than anyone. It'll eat you alive. What will eat you even more alive is the Devil trying to temper and tamper your life. That's when your strength and your love for Jesus comes in to battle it all for you. Let Him fight your battles, because we cannot do it on our own. We are only human with only so much in us to fight with and what's left to give at the end is not much. We are born innocent, but soon become sinners. Forgiveness lies within Him, and Him only.

I absolutely love this verse. It speaks mountains, and it'll move you.

John 14:27 states:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

To tell me He isn't alive is the most deceitful thing you could ever say, in my opinion. I can give you testimony after testimony how my Lord and Savior has worked through me. While prayers were uttered under my breath and even the ones unspoken, He heard them all. Things I never thought I'd get through in life, oh boy, did He give me wings to fly! Things that I prayed about that I never saw happening in my eyes, He showed me. Not on my time, always on His... but always the right times. Believe it or not, as aggravated and questionable I may have gotten; they were always on time. As many tears that flooded my heart because my faith became tested at times, and still does... He somehow manages to pull me through it all and stand me back straight. I only know that because I remind myself; it's me I am to lead and not follow, I am:

To serve Him. To praise Him. To love Him. To live by Him.

Looking through what all you have went through and are going through, step back and notch. Breathe a little and let go. He's got this. He's got this from here. Stop being stubborn and let Him handle it, because trust me, He already has.

Let your faith be bigger than your fears. I state that quite often in my writings. It's so important. He is the voice and the truth. So whenever you are so anxious or worried please cast all those fears over to the Lord, because He does care... and he wants to help you through these times.

After all, one man died for you and I with the most selfless heart and the purest love that lies deep within you and I because we are His flesh, and His blood. Why could you not love Him back? There isn't a reason. He is greater than the great!!

My Lord, my Savior lives deep within me. And, here I go again. I am here to spread my faith and my love because it's my job. It's my job to:

To serve Him. To praise Him. To love Him. To live by Him.

Who I am without him? I am nothing. I became somebody because of Him. At the cross, I surrendered my life to Him; because I owe it all to Him; Jesus. I need all of and every bit of Him.

Unloosen your chains. He'll forgive your shame. He loves you. He adores you.

Be somebody. He's waiting for you.

- T